St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas and opened in 1962. It is supported primarily by funds from volunteer contributions raised by ALSAC. The national fund-raising organization established by Danny Thomas for the purpose of funding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude also receives assistance from federal grants (mainly through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute), insurance and investments.

St. Jude, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the world's premier research centers. The institutions mission is to find cures for children with catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.

Research efforts are directed at understanding the molecular, genetic and chemical bases of catastrophic diseases in children, identifying cures for such diseases and promoting their prevention. Research is focused specifically on cancers, acquired and inherited immunodeficiencies and genetic disorders.

The current basic and clinical research at St. Jude includes work in gene therapy, bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy, the biochemistry of normal and cancerous cells, radiation treatment, blood diseases, resistance to therapy, viruses, hereditary diseases, influenza, pediatric AIDS and psychological effects of catastrophic illnesses.

More than 4,700 patients are seen at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital yearly, most of whom are treated on a continuing outpatient basis as a part of ongoing research programs. The hospital maintains 60 beds for patients requiring hospitalization during treatment.

To date, St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and more than 70 countries - from Argentina to China.

Patients are accepted by physician referral when the child or adolescent is newly diagnosed or suspected of having a disease under research and treatment by St. Jude staff.

The mission of St. Jude is to find cures for catastrophic diseases of childhood through research and treatment. Some programs at St. Jude include bone marrow transplant, gene therapy, pediatric AIDS, genetic disorders and various cancer programs.